Police investigating Lyford kidnapping, middle school wine drinking

BY ALLEN ESSEX

Staff Writer

Two recent incidents in Willacy County have put local teenagers in trouble with the law.

In the first incident a Lyford mother claims her sons were set up to be assaulted. According to the mother, a plan was concocted so her sons would both would receive a beating from a group of older boys.

Cristina Chavez alleges her 16-year-old son was lured to a party on Saturday by a girl who was told to do so by an older boy. The girl pretended she wanted to “get with” the 16- year-old in order to get close enough for him to be kidnapped. The deception was intended to set him up so his older brother would come to his rescue.

After the 16-year-old boy arrived at the party, he was captured and taken to a cemetery where he was allegedly threatened at knifepoint and forced to call his brother to come rescue him.

The group had planned to beat up both boys after the older brother arrived, Chavez said. But the older son did not get out of his car but instead ordered his younger sibling to jump in and they drove away at high speed.

The other teens gave chase with another car which forced her son to lose control of his car and crash into a tree, she said. The other teens chased her sons all the way to Raymondville.

The mother was interviewed by two TV stations and there is at least one account of the alleged incident on social media.

The group did not succeed in beating up her sons but her older son’s car was damaged, she said.

Lyford Police Chief Andy Maldonado said he cannot com- on the case because the investigation is still in progress.

In a separate case, two weeks ago, a group of four teenagers was taken into custody by Raymondville school police, school district Police Chief Oscar Gutierrez said.

Someone had brought wine to school and the teens were consuming it on school grounds, he said. The four students were either charged in Raymondville Municipal Court by Judge Felicita Gutierrez or they were turned over to Willacy County juvenile department authorities.

Despite claims on social media that charges were dismissed because the teenagers were related to the judge, none of the charges have been dropped. Judge Gutierrez said although many of the parties have the same last name, none of the youths is related to the police chief or to the judge.

Charges are pending against all four teens involved with the wine incident.